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Following the tragedy of the horrific incident at Bondi, Australia is facing multiple pressing reckonings. There is a much-needed national spotlight on anti-Jewish sentiment, an ongoing worry about public safety, and questions about the way such an tragedy could happen. But, from the perspective of a public health expert and Jewish Australian, the paramount dialogue we are now having centers on firearms.

Ten Years of Warnings and a Proven Solution

Health experts have been issuing warnings about guns for a minimum of a ten-year period. Following the events of the Port Arthur tragedy, Australians came together and implemented a suite of reforms to curb gun violence nationwide. And it worked. Before 1996, the nation witnessed approximately one large-scale firearm incident per year. In the decades since, there have been extremely rare significant tragedies, with none reaching the fatalities of the incidents in the 1980s and 1990s.

This Recent Tragedy and the Role of Current Laws

Even during the Bondi events, the nation's firearm regulations were not entirely useless. It has been suggested the individuals involved possessed with manually-operated long guns and a straight-pull shotgun. These weapons can only fire a single bullet at a time, requiring a physical action to chamber the subsequent shot. Although these guns are capable of being discharged quite quickly with devastating effect, they remain far slower and more cumbersome than the high-capacity, semi-automatic rifles frequently used in international attacks. The number of deaths at Bondi would've been far higher if different firearms had been accessible.

Preventing another Bondi demands national cohesion. Regrettably, we have already seen cracks in the facade.

Legislation Showing Weakness

Yet, the terrible toll of the incident demonstrates that current gun laws are inadequate. Crafted in the late 1990s with the best of intentions, decades have eroded their effectiveness. Concerningly, there are currently more firearms in Australia than prior to the Port Arthur massacre, with some individuals in cities reportedly holding collections of hundreds of weapons.

We have been complacent and it has exacted a terrible price.

The Path Ahead: Proposed Changes

Since the Bondi tragedy, there have been multiple declarations regarding new gun laws. The state of NSW specifically will shortly enact a package of measures to mitigate the collective risk from firearms. The federal government has proposed a new firearm surrender scheme, and there is hope for a national firearms registry, despite the complexities of aligning state and federal governments.

These measures are feasible provided that the nation acts in unison. As stated, when it comes to gun control, the country is only as strong as its weakest link. This is the reality of the Australian federation – laws in one state are much less meaningful if they can be bypassed with a journey across a state line.

Addressing Common Arguments

We hear the inevitable response that "guns don't kill people, individuals are". This is accurate in the identical way that planes don't transport people, aviators do. Yes, aircraft require operators, but it would be virtually impossible for a pilot to move 500 people internationally without the plane. The horrific violence witnessed at Bondi would be all but impossible without firearms, and would have been far less damaging if the accused individuals had been denied access to the weapons they used.

Balancing Need and Security

There are valid needs for some Australians to own firearms. Managing livestock or culling pests in many places is extremely difficult without them. A complete removal of guns from the country is impractical, as in some cases they are indispensable.

The achievable goal – what we must do – is to ensure that gun laws are updated to accurately reflect the society we live in today. Australia's laws have long been the admiration of the world, but time and distance has taken a toll and the nation is no longer as safe as it previously was. It is vital to learn from the tragedy of Bondi to heart, and ensure that coming Australians are as protected as past generations have been.

As one commentator remarked after the Bondi attack, "things like this just don't happen here". They don't, but only because the country has made concerted efforts to keep itself safe. However horrific as the attack was, there is hope that it can become the last one the nation experiences.